School Bans Religious Messages on Lockers

A group of Christian athletes in Virginia is taking a stand against their high school after administrators tore down copies of the Ten Commandments that were posted on their lockers.

Officials at Floyd County High School reportedly told the students that only secular messages like, "Happy Birthday," or "Go Team" are allowed on lockers.

The students are members of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. When the Ten Commandments were removed from their lockers, they contacted the Liberty Counsel, a legal firm that promotes religious freedom.

"These acts of censorship violate the students' right to free speech," said Liberty Counsel founder Mathew Staver. "In this case, the school has opened up student lockers for student expression and is monitoring and censoring religious speech."

Staver sent a letter to Barry Hollandsworth, principal of the high school, asking that the students be allowed to repost the Ten Commandments. The school did not return phone calls seeking comment.

In a rare turn of events, the Virginia chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is also supporting the students.

"Schools have the authority to ban all displays on school property," wrote ACLU of Virginia Executive Director Kent Willis in a press release. "But if a school allows students to post some kinds of personal messages on their lockers, it must also allow other kinds of messages, including those that have religious content."